Manufacture of billets.



Patented Apr. 23, IQOI.

w. B. HUGHES.

MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Shets-8heet I.

No. 672,773. Patented Apr. 23, I91;

7 W. B. HUGHES.

MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS.

(Applicatioq filed Jan. 30, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 672,773. M Patented Apr. 23, I9JDI. w. B. HUGHES.

MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS.

(Application filed Jun. 30, 190 1 '(N o M o d e I.)

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No. 672,773. Patented Apr. 23, |90L W. B. HUGHES.

MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS.

1 (Application filed. Jan. 30, 1901.] (No Model.) 4 Sheets-$heet 4 THE nonnls mm: 00.. PHOTO-U110 wunmomu. q c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

WILLIAM B. HUGHES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF BILLETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,773, dated April 23, 1901. Application filedil'anuary 30, 1901. Serial No. 45,351- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Billets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to quickly and economically convert a metal ingot into a number of compressed billets. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a billetmaking machine constructed for carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, partly in transverse section and partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of part of the machine. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating the operation of the machine, and Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views illustrating a modification of the invention.

In making billets from steel ingots it is the customary practice to first roll the ingot in a special blooming-mill and then to cut the rolled product into pieces of the proper size for the billets, although in some cases the I metal is poured into ingot-molds of small size, each producing an ingot of the proper size for a billet. Both of these plans are expensive, the first because of the special rolling mill required and the labor necessary to reduce the ingot to billet form, while the sec-w 0nd plan requires the use of a great number of small molds and corresponding expendi-y sure to which the plastic or semifluid mass has been subjected.

The machine for making billets in accordance with myinvention consists of a substantial framework 1, having at one end a heavy thrust-block 2 and at the other end a cylinder 3, with plunger 4, the latter having a head 5, with right-angled die-block 6, adapted to cooperate with a reverse right-angled dieblock 7, secured to the thrustblock 2, as shown in Fig. 1. Hence when the plunger 4 is projected by means of hydraulic or other pressure admitted to the cylinder 3 the dies 6 and 7 will inclose a space of the cross-sectional dimensions of the desired billet.

Upon the framework 1 are rails for the wheels of a truck 8, which is adapted for the support of an ingot-mold 9 and has suitable ways for the guidance of a slide-block 10,

whereby the bottom of said ingot-mold may be closed or opened. Movement of the slideblock 10 may be efiected in any desired way, the means shown in the present instance for accomplishing this result comprising a powercylinder 11, mounted on the main frame of the machine and having a piston-rod 12, with cross-head connected by links 13 to bell-crank levers 14, mounted in bearings on the block 2, a link 15 and detachable pin 16 serving to connect each lever to projecting cars 17 on the sliding block 10 when the ingot-mold truck has been moved into proper position on the frame of the machine.

Guide-flanges 18 on the top of the frame 1 serve to guide downward, close to the face of the block 2, an ingot descending from the mold 9, and arms 19 on a transverse rockshaft 20 on said frame 1 serve to press the lower portion of this ingot into close contact with the face of said block 2, the rock-shaft 20 being vibrated, so as to cause thearms 19 to subject the ingot to pressure or relieve it therefrom by means of power-cylinders 21 on the outside of the frame, the piston operated by these power-cylinders engaging with an arm 22 on one end of the rock-shaft 20.

At one side of the frame 1 is mounted a power-cylinder 23, with piston-rod 24, in line with the opening formed by the die-blocks 6 and 7, and at the other sideof said frame is a roller-table 2-5 or other suitable form of power-conveyor for carrying the billets away from the machine.

The head 5 of the plunger 4 is. connected by rods 26 to a cross-head 27, which is connected to the plunger 28 of a supplementary power-cylinder 29 at the back end of the cylinder 3, constant pressure being maintained in this supplementary cylinder, so as to retract the plunger 4 and-its headi5 whenpressure is removed fromthe cylinder 3, or pressure may be admitted to thecy'linder 29 when the cylinder 3 is opened to the exhaust, or vice versa. V

The bottom of the mold 9 is normally closed by the slide-block 10, and the molten metal is permitted to remain in the mold until sufficiently cooled tocause the ingot to retain its form, whereupon the truck carrying the mold is moved into position over the machine, the block 10 is coupled to the links 15, and the power is admitted to the cylinder 11, so as to operate the levers 14 and withdraw the block 10 from the bottom of the mold; The plunger in the cylinder 3 being retract-ed, the ingot falls from the mold 9 down between the guide-flanges l8 and onto the die-block 6, as shown in Fig. 5, the arms 19 of the rockshaft 20 pressing the ingot against the face of the thrust-block 2. The plunger 4 is now projected, so that the die-block 6 shears off the lower end of the ingotand presses this cut-off portion forwardly against the die 7, thereby compressing the plastic mass of metal between the two dies andim'parting to it the form desired for the finished billet, as shown in Fig. 6. This compression of the plastic mass solidifies the same and renders the .billet homogeneous throughout, so that the finished billet is similar to one produced in the ordinary way from fluid compressed steel. As soon as the pressure upon the billet is relieved on the retraction of the die 6 the piston 24 of the power-cylinder 23 is projected, so as to thrust the billet onto the conveyertable 25, by which it is carriedaway from the machine. As soon as the plunger 4 has been retract-ed the ingot again drops into position on the die 6 and the operations before described are repeated.

The presser-arms 19 on the rock-shaft 2O serve to insure the vertical descentof the ingot and prevent any overturning of the same when it has been reduced in length, so that onlya small section remains. Hence the en tire length of the ingot is fed to the die 6 and the shearing and compressing operations proceed until the ingot is entirely consumed.

. By preference the ingot-moliil is of greater lateral dimensions at the centerthan at the ends, the shape of the ingot befhg that represented in cross-section in Fig. 3, so that the pressure of the dies 6 and 7 is exerted upon the ingot.

the blank sheared fromv the ingot fir st' at the longitudinal center of the same and thence progressively toward each end, whereby the flow of metal is from the center outwardly toward each end, the desired solidity of the billet from end to end being thus insured.

If desired, the compression of the billet may precede the shearing of the same from Thus in the' modification shown in Figs. 7and 8 thejcornpression of the ingot is effected between the vertical face of a die- ;block 6} and the opposing vertical face of a die-block 7?, as shown in Fig. 7, the compressed por'tion of the ingot falling onto a projecting portion of the die 6 when the latter is retracted, as shownin Fig. 8, and being sheared from the body of the ingot on the next forward movement of the plunger 5, at which time the compression of the next succeeding portion of thei ng'ot is being effected. The compressing-dies may, if desired, be independentof the shearing-dies, although for purposes of economy and compact arrangement it is preferable to use the combined compressing and shearing dies, as shown.

The compressing-dies may be such as to convert the sheared-off section of the ingot into shapes instead of simple billets,thereby dispensing with one'or more of the rolling operations now necessary in converting a billet into beams or shapes and the like, the term billet, as used in the claims, being intended to cover such shapes as well.

The dies and adjacent parts of the machine may be hollow and water-cooled, if desired, and the relation of the parts of the machine may be changed without materially affecting the operation of the same. For instance,-the machine may be turned upon its side, the ingot-mold being supported in a horizontal position, and the billet may be delivered from' the machine by gravity, the ejector-cylinder 2-3 and its piston-rod 24 in this case being so disposed as to force the ingot from the mold and into the machine.

I do not herein claim the machine which I have shown and described, as said machine forms the subject of a separate applicationfor patent filed by'me on the 5th day of December, 1900, Serial No. 38,833; but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The mode herein described of forming billets, said mode consisting in subjecting to shearing and compressing action, successive sections of an ingot, while the latter still retains sufiicient of its initial heat to render it plastic, substantially as specified.

2. The mode herein described of forming billets, said mode con-sistingin subjecting to shearing and compressing action,}successiye sections of an ingot, while the latter still retains sufficient of its initial heat to render it plastic, the compressing action beginning at about the longitudinal center of the ingotsection, and extending progressively toward each end of the same, substantially as specified.

3. The mode herein described of forming billets, said mode consisting in shearing from an ingot, while the same retains sufficient of its initial heat, to render it plastic, successive sections of proper size for the billets to be produced and immediately compressing each section to billet form, substantially as speci- 1o fied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

F. E. BEOHTOLD, J 0s. H. KLEIN. 

